Decision time?Despite another three points on the board, with the loudest cries of the day demanding the owner to take leave of his current involvement at Newcastle, the latest article in the News of the World suggests Toon fans might get their wish sooner rather than later. The paper claims that Mike Ashley is ready to reopen talks about selling Newcastle next month.
Despite the no-show of funds from previous prospective buyers, NoTW claims that new parties, including one from America, have made contact. Their inference is that relinquishing control of the club would allow him to concentrate on the forthcoming case with the Serious Fraud investigation over alleged price-fixing. And presumably a selling point would be that new owners would have time to invest and help ensure promotion to the top flight. (more…)
Best of pals!Barry Moat still thinks there’s a chance of him buying Newcastle United in the future.
Apparently, whilst Moat has no immediate plans to launch another bid, he will continue to think about how he might wrest the club for Ashley in the future.
Speaking to Sky Sports News he said:
“For one reason or another it didn’t come to pass.
“It’s extremely disappointing. It’s something we’d given up a lot of time and effort and abortive costs with so I’ve been feeling pretty bruised by the whole process.
“As my wife keeps telling me, ‘No one’s died’ so you’ve got to get on. That’s fundamentally where I see it now.
“I think from my perspective I don’t think Mike Ashley wants to stay at St James’ Park for the long term, so I’ll never give up.
“I’ll keep beavering away in the background and hopefully one day we’ll get there.” (more…)
Here we go againMike Ashley has taken Newcastle United off the market after 5 months and appointed Chris Hughton as permanent manager until the end of the 2010/2011 season.
Emotions were running high when this was announced last night but I wanted to try and analyse the situation a little more objectively in the cold light of day.
It looked like Barry Moat might actually have been in with a chance at one point. According to the press, he’d had a £40m up-front plus £40m at the end of the season deal rejected and had come back to Ashley with a £60m-£20m upgrade to that, having been led to believe by Ashley that it would be accepted. Ashley however did not accept it and decided to take the club off the market amongst a lot of familiar-sounding rhetoric.
The rhetoric sounds familiar because it’s pretty much what he said the last time he took the club off the market. He stressed his commitment to the future of Newcastle United then too and he put some money into the club, but then we were relegated and the club was up for sale once again. So I have no reason to believe that Ashley’s aim is to do anything but maximise the club’s appeal so that he can put it up for sale yet again. (more…)
Untouchable surely?Of all the loathsome, inept and baffling decisions made and actions taken by Mike Ashley and his useless merrymen running the show on Barrack Road, he’s finally gone where I thought he could never go.
Having announced the decision to take the club off the market and install Chris Hughton as permanent manager, the official site has put out a statement to that effect.
Almost as an afterthought, and so matter-of-factly it brings tears to a grow man’s eyes was this ridiculously callous snippet –
“The club aims to maximise its commercial revenues; this includes renegotiating its club sponsor and kit deal, which expire at the end of this season, as well as welcoming offers for the stadium naming rights for next season.”
So if you weren’t entirely sure just how badly the current incumbent had misjudged what this little toy of their’s mean to us, nor just how ignorant they are to the traditions within football that really matter to a supporter, then you do now. (more…)
Ashley to remain for nowThe following announcement was made on the Newcastle United site tonight:
NEWCASTLE United are delighted to announce that Chris Hughton has been named the permanent manager of the Club, his contract will run until the end of the 2010/11 season.
At the same time the Club has confirmed that it has been withdrawn from sale and is no longer on the market.
The Club had been trying to broker a deal with a number of prospective buyers in recent months however none of those deals came to fruition. With regard to the possible sale of the Club to Barry Moat, that particular bid has now fallen through due to the cash price of £80m not being met.
In confirming the news, Mike Ashley stated that he is totally committed to the future success of Newcastle United and will be focussing on gaining promotion back to the Premier League. Mike will put a further £20m into the Club this week.
Derek Llambias, Managing Director of Newcastle United, said:
“We are delighted that Chris has accepted the post of full time manager. He has done a terrific job this season and we wish him every success for the rest of this season and beyond. He will continue to receive our full backing and support.” (more…)
